Hebrews—Jesus: Greater than All & Above Everything!“Move Ahead with Greater Certainty!”

Hebrews 6:13-20Dr. Doug Posey – March 11, 2018

REVIEW…

As the writer has been dealing with the issue of maturity because the Hebrew believers had a propensity to slide back into their Jewish roots.

In Chapter 5, he accused them of being spiritually infants, still needing milk, not able to handle meat. But toward the end of Chapter 6, after very sternly warning them about leaving the elementary teaching about Christ, and pressing on to maturity, he wrote…

Hebrews 6:9beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you…

QUESTION: How many of you would like to grow in your faith?

Even if you’re stuck…There’s hope for you, if you …

-Don’t make excuses-Don’t be sluggish-Find someone to imitate …

Hebrews 6:12…do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

INTRODUCTION…

Who had more faith and patience than the “Father of Faith,” Abraham? Who better to imitate? If you want to grow in your faith, look to the Father of Faith.

Romans 4:12“The father of all who believe”).

This section is a word of encouragement—There is hope.

I. GOD’S PROMISES MAKE US CERTAIN (VSS. 13-15)…

Do you trust God? When He makes a promise, do you believe it? Human beings can promise you all kinds of things, but man ultimately disappoints.

Proverbs 29:25The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

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Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

The writer to the Hebrews had given the goal for our pursuit of maturity.

Hebrews 6:11And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance [certainty] of hope until the end,

GOAL: Full assurance of hope until the end…Certainty!

Otherwise you live in fear.

Hebrews 6:13For when God made the promise to Abraham, …since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

So, in Chapter 6:13-20, the writer will begin with Abraham as someone they would have been very familiar with—someone they should imitate.

God made a promise to Abraham way back in Gensis12—2,000 years before Christ!

Abram [before he was renamed-“Abraham”], was 75 years old, raised in the land of Ur with pagan gods with no scriptures or a previous example! God comes to him…

Genesis 12:1–41 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 4 So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him;…”

Those verses are called “The Abrahamic Covenant” which required nothing from Abram. He went—he acted in faith…and then…

When God swore by Himself, that meant it was irrevocable, it would happen, it was guaranteed. Here’s an example …

Isaiah 45:23“I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

The writer to the Hebrews summarizes God’s covenant with Abram…

Hebrews 6:14saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”

In Chapter 22 of Genesis, God summarizes the covenant,2

Genesis 22:16–1716 … “‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, … 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore…’”

Hebrews 6:15And so, having patiently waited, he [Abram] obtained the promise.

Using Abraham’s example you can trust that it’s worth it to work toward maturity in Christ rather than stay stuck in old, comfortable patterns.

What is it for you? Do you believe God’s promises*?

-Forgiveness-Eternal life-Joy-Peace-Reward-Acceptance-Friendship with God-Presence: never leave you or forsake you.-Trouble

Putting your trust in anyone or anything else is idolatry! You can trust God because He has no capacity for failure. IT’S OUTSIDE HIS CHARACTER…

II. GOD’S CHARACTER MAKES US CERTAIN (VSS. 16-18)…

Now the writer turns from Abraham to God Himself. The fact is God is the same God. His promises still stand. His promises haven’t changed because God never changes—He is IMMUTABLE.

Hebrews 6:16For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

Men put their hand on the bible or say, “I swear to God.” Oaths like that usually settle issues for two parties.

But, why did God take an oath? …

Hebrews 6:17In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with [included] an oath,

He didn’t need to use an oath, but for the sake of human accommodation—to show the heirs—He swore and oath.

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Hebrews 6:18…so that by two unchangeable things… in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge…would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

His promise [confirmed by an oath]. Those two unchangeable things reflect something that gives us great certainty

It is completely outside God’s character to lie. It is not possible considering God’s attributes of Holiness and Righteousness.

There were Cities of Refuge established as Israel was formed so people could find safety from retribution for certain sins. In the same way we take refuge in the hope of His promise of safety from all sin.

Our hope of a future comes from the hope we have in His promise—because, like Abraham, He chose us to be blessed and a blessing. We share in the promise God never changes.

III. GOD’S SON MAKES US CERTAIN (VSS. 19, 20)…

Abraham looked forward to a Messiah he did not see. God said,

Genesis 22:17b… “through your seed (singular) the nations will be blessed”

predicting Messiah.

We can clearly see the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What’s our excuse?

Hebrews 6:19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, [can you imagine a more certain picture than that?] a hope both sure [certain—you can count on it to be there] and steadfast [and it will always be there—dependable] and one which enters within the veil,

We are anchored to Jesus inside the veil. Going behind the veil was something only the High Priest could do once a year on behalf of the people. However, when Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, He tore the veil and entered the Holy place with the Father…

Revelation 3:21‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Hebrews 6:20where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Abraham was before the Law of Moses and encountered Melchizedek, a priest/king like Jesus, and worshiped by giving a tithe (tenth) of the spoils.

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The writer says later in Hebrews,

Hebrews 10:19–2319 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence [certainty, assurance] to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, [just like the veil in the temple, His body was torn, making the way to the Father] 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance [certainty] of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

APPPLICATION…

Identify the thing in your life upon which you have been leaning for certainty/ assurance that has kept you from fully pursuing maturity in Christ.

-For the Hebrews it was the dead works of the Law.

-For you it may be your career, money, family, material things (bigger, better), or simply a fear of fully committing.

None of these things can say…

Hebrews 6:19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, [can you imagine a more certain picture than that?] a hope both sure [certain—you can count on it to be there] and steadfast [and it will always be there—dependable] and one which enters within the veil,

Only Jesus can be that certain hope.

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